This disclosure relates to hot air popcorn poppers. The popcorn popper may be configured to provide a single serving size of popcorn. The popcorn popper may also be configured to provide multiple servings. The popper unit has a cooking portion into which kernels are placed. Hot air is directed into the cooking portion to pop the kernels. The cooking portion may comprise the blower unit, a popping vessel or a carafe. The popped kernels expand upwards and fill the popping vessel or the carafe. The popping vessel or the carafe may have a vent at its top end to allow the hot air used for cooking the kernels to escape from the popping chamber or carafe. The vent may be formed in a lid that otherwise seals the top open end of the carafe. The vent may discharge to another serving dispenser.
In one aspect, once popping is complete, the carafe may be used as a serving container. In a variation of this aspect, the vent at the top of the carafe may be sealed and popper unit may be inverted with the carafe attached to the popper unit so the popped kernels fill the carafe. The carafe may then be removed from the popper unit in the inverted position. The carafe then serves a serving bowl or dispenser and the user may mix seasonings in the carafe. In another variation of this aspect, the carafe may be removed from the popper unit. The bottom of the carafe may have a fine mesh screen, cooking grate or other cooking surface which holds the popped kernels. The carafe may be transferred to a stand-like pedestal to seal the bottom of the carafe. The lid and or vent on the carafe top end may be fully opened to allow use of the carafe as a serving bowl or dispenser from the carafe top, and the user may mix seasonings in the carafe.
In another aspect, a hood may be detachably connected to the carafe and popped kernels may be directed out of the hood to a separate serving dispenser. In another aspect, the popping chamber may comprise first and second parts removably assemblable with one another to form the popping chamber.